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Choosing a Caribbean Cruise Destination |
 Placed on the Caribbean plate, this region houses more than seven thousand islands most of them enclosing the sea and there are some special tourist attractions like the National Park in Curacao, the El Yunque Rain Forest in Puerto Rico, the Mayan Ruins in Cozumel and the list goes on! While planning a Caribbean cruise vacation travelers are often in a dilemma as to which way to sail – western Caribbean or eastern Caribbean. The fact is, both the itineraries are equally gorgeous! All you need to do is to decide and book the right ship; however, a research of the ports of call is definitely required before that. Although equally exquisite, the two most popular Caribbean cruise itineraries have their own attraction points to welcome their visitors, let us explore!
Western Caribbean Cruises
Cruise ships that sail to the western Caribbean embark from Texas, New Orleans or Florida. Ports of call on the western Caribbean itinerary are simply varied thanks to the long distance separating them. The Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Key West, Costa Rica etc. are a few ports of call to name. The western Caribbean cruise offers you more sailing and less beaching! Thus you get more options for the shore excursion like a hike up the rain forest, snorkeling at the Grand Cayman, and exploring the ancient Mayan ruins, SCUBA diving at some memorable spots. If you are looking at an adventurous cruise vacation this can be your choice.
A detailed picture of the grand hot Caribbean cruise spots will definitely help you further. Take a look at the few rocking shore excursions on the Caribbean cruise. Cruise lovers are sure to enjoy.
- Exploring the Stingray City at the Grand Cayman Island: the Stingray City is the most happening place to visit on a Caribbean cruise vacation as you can snorkel, swim, dive to be marveled by the Stingrays from the windows of that glass bottom boat.
- Hiking the EI Junque Rain Forest in Puerto Rico: the one and only Tropical rain forest in the United States charms its visitors with a peaceful yet enjoyable hiking experience.
- Submarine ride beneath the Caribbean: this is one of the best shore excursions one can have to explore the undersea world and enjoy diving and snorkeling as well.
- Dominica Champagne Snorkeling: Champagne is a spot in the Scottshead Marine Reserve where the sea bed shows up small volcanic fissures releasing tiny crystal bubbles in to the sea water. It is worth indulging for those who are fond of snorkeling.
- Exploring baths in the British Virgin Islands: Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands has a striking rock constitution on the western part of the island which is a fun place to enjoy climbing and snorkeling for all ages.
Eastern Caribbean Cruises
Cruise ships that sail to the eastern Caribbean embark from Florida. The significant ports of call on the eastern Caribbean itinerary are Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, St. John, St. Thomas etc. and they allow you less sailing and more beaching which means loads of shopping! The opportunity to explore the beaches makes the eastern Caribbean itinerary more appealing to the majority of tourists. The white-sand beaches and the turquoise waters are a heavenly treat for their eyes. An adventurous parasailing adds to the fervor.
Utterly confused? Relax, you can always plan your next Caribbean cruise vacation after thoroughly enjoying the first one. Choosing a Caribbean cruise destination is not really the difficult. Below is a checklist of what all to pack for the Caribbean cruise vacation:
- Pack comfortable sportswear
- Get low-heeled shoes for easy deck activities
- Get back-up swimming costumes to enjoy the sea to the max
- Positively bring your binoculars and camera to capture every single moment you admire
- For evening wear bring cocktail dress for the women and suits for the men
The best time to plan a Caribbean cruise vacation is practically anytime! However, the cruise agencies offer good discount rates during the hurricane season from August through November. But there are special offers in other times of the year as well – just be on the lookout for these Caribbean cruise destination offers. So you have all the options to plan your dream cruise to the Caribbean. Select your Caribbean cruise itinerary, book your Caribbean cruise vacation and off you go.
All said and done a pre-cruise homework on the Caribbean islands, destinations and even cruise ships would be always helpful. There are numerous travel magazines on the internet, consult them to get a picture. Of course, consulting a good travel agent always gets you that personal counseling and attention unlike the websites. Therefore, talking to an experienced cruise travel agent should be effective in planning and even choosing your Caribbean cruise destination wisely as it will be a lifetime experience in itself.
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